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Book Lovers: Guys, it's guild raid tonight! ❤️Ditter Man: COUNT ME IN!!!Mad Scientist: I'm busy.Book Lovers: Awww, come on, Ferdi! We won't have fun unless everyone is here.Eggplant: Who changed my username again? I swear, these hackers...Shumil Emperor: Since it’s a time-limited event with good rewards, you can count on me. ^^Book Lovers: Yay! That’s my soulmate for you! ^^Shumil Emperor: O.ODusty: Get a room, you two. -.-Tequila: Finally done with overtime.Loltz: OMG! These battle passes are getting too expensive.Avatar's Number One Follower: This humble servant is always ready to serve his liege, whether day or night.Eggplant: Disgusting.Dusty: Disgusting.Loltz: Disgusting.Archduck: Disgusting.ForeverSingle: These usernames are stupid.Myne chuckled as she watched the guild chat descend into chaos. At least most members seemed ready for the upcoming raid. She was sitting alone in her tidy room, her computer desk illuminated by the monitor's glow. A few open books rested on her bed behind her. Though she wasn’t much of a gamer and preferred the comfort of a good book, her online friends had somehow managed to rope her into this one game.The clock on her monitor displayed 20:48. The time-limited event was about to start, so she checked her character one last time. Myne wasn’t a fan of fast-paced action, so she designed her character as a healer-supporter, allocating most of her stats to MP and Resistance. Her guild was currently ranked in the top 10 leaderboards, thanks to several whales who were willing to spend generously. Myne, on the other hand, didn’t mind supporting game developers with a small contribution now and then, but she much preferred spending her money on books over in-game items.As time ticked down, a countdown appeared on the screen. She put on her headphones and connected to Discord, ready to strategize with her guild.
5...
4...
3...
2...
1...
As the countdown hit zero, a sudden bright flash burst from her screen, causing Myne to shield her eyes."What the...? No warning? They could get sued for this!" she muttered, squinting against the light. But before she could react further, a wave of drowsiness overcame her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she felt her consciousness slipping away."Wait... the... raid..." she murmured faintly, before succumbing to sleep."Zzz..."A bird chirping could be heard, and I slowly opened my eyes. It seemed I had fallen asleep while waiting for the guild raid. Since it was already bright outside, I could assume I had completely missed the time-limited event. The guildmaster was sure to yell at me again."Ughhh. It's morning already." Bright light filtered through the window. But as I looked around, I realized this room was definitely not my own. Pink dominated the décor, and the furniture was arranged differently. Even my voice sounded strange. "What is going on?"I pushed myself up from the chair, only to stumble. I was far shorter than I remembered, and my hands looked smaller. Despite the oddness, I managed to walk over to a full-length mirror, and what I saw made me gasp in horror."What a cute girl." Instead of seeing a young woman with dark blue hair and generous proportions, I was greeted by the sight of a petite pink-haired girl dressed in fluffy pajamas. I didn’t know who she was, but she was definitely not me. "Wait a minute. Did I get reincarnated into an alternate world as the princess of some doomed kingdom where I have to fight the demon king to save my people?" My otaku tendencies kicked in.I slapped both cheeks lightly to calm myself. I instantly regretted it. The girl in the mirror looked so delicate and frail that I worried I might have actually hurt her. Thankfully, her cheeks remained unscathed.Overthinking wouldn’t help, so I took a closer look at the room. It was far larger than mine, with rabbit plushies scattered about. The bed looked incredibly comfy, and there were posters of muscular men wrestling above the study desk—a total contrast to the otherwise cutesy atmosphere."Hannelore, are you awake?" a voice called from behind the door. The language was familiar, which relieved me. At least I wasn’t in a world where I couldn’t understand anyone. The door opened slowly, revealing a tall woman with a strict aura. "You need to get ready, or you’ll be late for school.""Ah." Her clothing was more modern than I expected. It dawned on me that I wasn’t in an isekai world but still in the same one I knew—just in someone else’s body. "U-understood." I forced a smile, trying not to sound suspicious.The woman’s expression softened as she approached and patted my head. This girl, Hannelore, must be very short because I felt like a dwarf standing in front of her. "Once you’ve changed, come down for breakfast. I made your favorite today.""Thank you," I replied, enjoying the headpat. Come to think of it, Dad used to pat my head a lot when I was younger.The woman nodded and left, closing the door behind her. I exhaled in relief. At least she hadn’t noticed anything was off.Suddenly, a loud and unfamiliar song blasted from the bedside table, startling me. It was a cutely designed smartphone, though the heavy metal ringtone was hilariously mismatched. The caller was an unknown number, which made me hesitate to pick it up."Hannelore, are you going to answer that?" the woman’s voice called from downstairs, clearly able to hear the obnoxious ringtone.I quickly apologized and answered the call. "H-hello?""Whoever is in my body, please don’t do anything reckless!" A panicked female voice came from the other end."Huh?" I was left dumbfounded. But piecing things together, I finally asked, "I-is this the owner of Hannelore’s body?""Y-yes! I’m sorry for startling you. I woke up in a body that isn’t mine, so I panicked and called my number," the voice explained, sounding calmer now. There was something familiar about it, but I couldn’t pinpoint what. "A-anyway, I’ll try not to mess things up too much, so please—""Myne, breakfast is ready!" a voice called in the background from her end of the call."Mom?" I blurted out. No one answered, but the realization hit me like a truck. I had swapped bodies with Hannelore, and she was now dealing with my family."H-Hannelore, if I may ask, could you please try to get along with my family until we meet and figure this out?""I was about to ask you the same thing," she replied with a chuckle. "I’m leaving my body in your care, Miss Myne. Since we seem to live in different towns, let’s arrange a meeting soon so we could discuss this situation. Anyway, I have to go for now.""Lady Hannelore, would you like some cookies? I baked extra today.""Perhaps you’d like to join me for tea?""Lady Hannelore, you have to hear this! My brother finally brought a girl home, and my parents are thrilled!"How did things end up like this? I masked my horror with a forced smile as waves of well-bred young ladies swarmed me—Hannelore. Apparently, her petite and charming appearance made her very popular. To make matters worse, she attended an all-girls school, and the frilly uniforms were overkill.Now that I thought about it, I was a bit of a tomboy as Myne, spending my days either reading books or hanging out with boys my age. I’d never interacted with this many girls at once, and I was internally crying for help.When classes started, I thought I’d get some respite, but the lessons were shockingly advanced—far beyond regular high school level.As expected of an elite school, I thought, staring at the complex material being taught. Fortunately, as a young adult librarian who had already graduated, I managed to keep up. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this situation was completely wrong."I'm so tired." I collapsed onto the bed, still wearing the frilly uniform. My hair was still tied up in girly pigtails, but I had no energy to undo it.Living as Hannelore for a day was a nightmare. Between girls gossiping about romance at every corner of the school, other girls trying to flirt with her, the NASA-class academics being taught, and her overly protective yet hardboiled family, I was completely drained. A deep sigh escaped my lips."Please, at least let me read a book." Reaching my limit, I threw a tantrum, cradling my head on the bed. If there was one thing I’d realized, it was that this girl was silk hiding steel. She was part of the sword art club, and despite having zero fighting experience as Myne, I managed to clash swords with several skilled students in her body. It still felt surreal. Worst is, the only book I’d seen all day was my notebook from class. "Argh. I want a cup of ramen."The food wasn’t bad, per se, but it was way too refined for my tastes. Even at 23 years old as Myne, I still ordered kids’ meals whenever my family went out to restaurants. Luxurious snacks and overcomplicated flavors just didn’t appeal to me."Hannelore, dinner is ready," her mother called from downstairs. Despite their wealth—far greater than my own family’s—they seemed to live a relatively modest life. Her father was a politician, and her older brother, Lestilaut, was a college student.I sighed, dragging myself off the bed. I changed out of the uncomfortable dress and headed downstairs, holding on to the small hope that dinner wouldn’t be overly extravagant."..."This makes no sense. No matter how many times I pinched myself, I couldn’t wake up. Instead, I stared in horror at the reflection in the mirror.Just a moment ago, I’d been in my modest room, which I shared with my two brothers, waiting for the time-limited event to start. As usual, Ralf was loudly chatting with his girlfriend while lounging on his bed, so I had tried to immerse myself in the game. I’d recently been promoted at my part-time job while catching up on my studies, working toward a better future. But now? Now I was in a situation I couldn’t comprehend."Who is this chick?" I muttered, watching as the young woman in the mirror mimicked my every move. She was stunning—silky blonde hair, a generous figure, and wearing clothes I could never dream of affording. "Is this a dream?" I pinched my cheek again, and the reflection did the same."The heck?" My scream echoed in the empty apartment mansion, its girly pitch only adding to my panic. There was no one around to answer my millions of questions.My younger brother was acting really weird this morning. I knew Lutz could be a bit odd at times, but today he was downright ridiculous. He complained about everything, freaked out over the smallest things, and even lost his mind over a cockroach.Is fame getting to his head or something? I thought to myself. I knew he was one of the top students at his school and had managed to land a well-paying part-time job. Instead of giving his salary to our parents, he decided to save most of it. I’d been angry at him for it in the past, but he yelled back, saying the money he was saving would be useful for the future. Since Mom didn’t seem too upset about it, we eventually let it slide.With the new day starting, I had to rush out of the house toward the workshop. Our family was pretty poor, so the three of us brothers had to do our best to support everyone. Dad was breaking his back day and night, but his efforts alone weren’t enough.I’d had to drop out of school because the tuition fees were too expensive, and so had my other brother. Lutz, however, found a good job and decided to re-enroll in school. At first, we thought he was wasting his hard-earned money, but he insisted it would come in handy someday."Yo, Ralf. Ya look kinda gloomy today, dontcha?" my childhood friend Frey said in his usual rough tone. Like us, his family was poor too, so we often worked the same jobs."Yo, Frey! That Lutz decided to ruin my day first thing in the morning," I complained, changing into my work uniform. "Seriously, it’s all because of that laptop of his. He keeps insisting he needs it for work, but I swear, all he does is play on it."The two of us finished getting ready and moved into the factory, where a tall, loud, muscular man barked at us to get moving. Looked like it was going to be a long day.Shumil Emperor: It looks like we swapped bodies X.XBook Lovers: T.TLoltz: Eeeeeeekkkkk! I just saw a shiny thing behind the desk. Someone save me!!!Eggplant: I am losing my mind here -.-Book Lovers: I've read a lifetime's worth of books just today @.@Shumil Emperor: I am so jealous. I want to return to my body as soon as possible.Loltz: I share that feeling.Book Lovers: Same.Eggplant: Should we meet up to discuss this? I don't even know where I am right now. Everything seems so foreign, and everywhere I go, people are dressed in clothes I could never afford.Loltz: T.TArchduck: Guys, help.Shumil Emperor: Let me guess, you swapped bodies with someone else?Archduck: 💀Book Lovers: 🤗In a dark room, an individual stared at the screen with amusement. They had a blanket draped over their shoulders, as well as serving a some kind of hood to hide their face, while a mug of hot cocoa sat on the desk beside them."Looks like it worked," they mused. "Now then, my dear test subjects, feel free to amuse me~"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I couldn’t help but feel nervous. Today was the day our guild members finally managed to align our schedules to meet up and discuss the situation. I still had nightmares about the endless tea parties and gossip sessions at the all-girls school. All I wanted was to immerse myself in my hobbies as soon as possible.When I was about to leave, Hannelore’s mother bombarded me with questions—it was unusual for this girl to go out alone on a weekend. I had to come up with a string of excuses before they reluctantly allowed me to leave."..."I could sense someone following me. Considering how adorable this girl was, I wouldn’t be surprised if some bystander developed a crush on her. For now, I decided to stay in public areas where I could call for help if needed.Speaking of which, I was wearing yet another frilly dark-blue dress with pink ribbons. What was wrong with this girl’s wardrobe? She didn’t own a single pair of pants—only skirts and dresses. They weren’t exactly practical for everyday life. I almost missed my favorite tracksuit from when I was Myne.I stood at the bus stop, waiting under the sun for a few minutes. Thankfully, I’d thought to bring a light, summer-friendly white hat; otherwise, I’d have melted by now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a shut-in—I just prefer staying inside to read books.The presence behind me was becoming unsettling. I made a move, using some agile maneuvers to confuse the pursuer until they lost sight of me. Then, I suddenly rushed behind them and pushed them to the ground, grabbing their left arm and pinning it down. "Who goes there?""Owww," the young man groaned. "Couldn’t you go a bit easier on your brother?"I recognized him as Lestilaut, Hannelore’s older brother. "S-sorry." I quickly let him go and stood up. By now, we had attracted the attention of some bystanders, so we apologized profusely for the commotion before stepping aside. "Older brother, what are you doing here? Were you following me?" I asked, keeping my tone calm and my words polite, as befitted this cute girl’s character."I was worried you might be meeting up with some dumb guy, so I followed you," he said, pointing a thumb behind him. "Kennetrips, Rastark, and I were concerned. If the guy you’re meeting turns out to be an idiot, we were planning to beat the crap out of him."Two familiar boys stepped out of hiding, walking toward us. I hadn’t realized there were three of them—I’d only noticed one. From what I knew, these three were always looking out for Hannelore, protecting her from any harm as her reliable brother and cousins. Though, considering the girl’s strength and sword skills, I doubted she needed much protection."Jeez, you’re overthinking things, older brother. I’m just meeting with some friends," I replied, trying to sound reassuring.He shook his head. "You’re too naive. I can’t help but worry."I feel sorry for Hannelore—her family doesn’t trust her at all, I thought, mentally sweating. Despite my efforts to shoo the three boys away, they were insistent on tagging along. I reluctantly accepted for now, hoping to find a way to slip away before meeting the others.We boarded a bus heading to another town, and I contemplated my options. I wasn’t mentally prepared to meet my own body—or anyone else from the guild—but this ridiculous situation needed to be resolved as soon as possible."It’s hot," I muttered, shielding my eyes from the glaring sun. I was the first to arrive at the meeting area and immediately regretted my punctuality. To avoid suspicion, we had agreed to meet at an abandoned park rarely visited by anyone. Unfortunately, that meant no shade, and I had forgotten to bring a hat.I was wearing a white summer dress—the only clothing I could put on without too much difficulty.
Seriously, why are rich women’s clothes so complicated to wear?
Living in this body for the past few days had been nothing short of miserable. Upon opening the game, I’d found myself logged in as the user Eggplant, while the other guild members complained about swapping bodies. The chaos made me want to sleep and hope this was all just a dream.This body I was stuck in belonged to a young woman named Eglantine. She lived alone in an apartment within a modern building and worked as a public servant. Thanks to my experience working for Master Benno, I managed to keep up with her workload, though her coworkers were understandably suspicious of my odd behavior.
In the end, we agreed that we should all live as normally as possible until we could meet.
While some panicked at the thought, we eventually had no choice but to accept reality. Guild members begged each other not to do anything reckless in their borrowed bodies. I personally worried about Eggplant, who was stuck in mine. I could only imagine her butting heads with my brothers and parents, and I prayed we could all return to our original bodies soon."Oh, someone’s already here," an unfamiliar voice called out. I turned to see a young man with striking blue hair, wearing a black suit, emerging from the bushes. This park was a popular spot for kids to test their courage, so it was rarely cleaned."Hello there. I’m Damuel, the person behind Forever Single," he introduced himself, his tone serious despite his casual attitude. He did grimace a little while mentioning his username though. "Though, right now, I’m in Mad Scientist’s body.""Nice to meet you, Sir Damuel," I replied politely. He didn’t seem like a bad person, and I relaxed a little. "I’m Lutz from Loltz. At the moment, I’m stuck in Eggplant’s body." Saying that out loud felt incredibly strange, earning a chuckle from him."I was shocked when I woke up in someone else’s body," Damuel admitted, glancing around the neglected park. "But seeing everyone doing their best motivated me."We decided to stay connected via the in-game chat, sharing updates about our daily struggles and asking questions about the people whose bodies we were inhabiting. Though we had only met online, we shared a common goal and a sense of camaraderie.Damuel sighed heavily, his appearance not quite matching his demeanor. "I almost broke down when I saw the amount of work Sir Ferdinand has to handle." He stared into the distance, clearly overwhelmed."I understand how you feel." A sense of solidarity washed over me as I recalled my own mishaps at work. Despite my experience with various jobs, I was still a child trapped in the body of a working adult woman. "Being a woman is tough, too—everyone looks down on you, and the clothes are ridiculously complicated.""Oh, someone else is here?"We turned to see another newcomer. He had long blue hair tied in a ponytail and wore a regal-looking suit that made him resemble a high-class noble from a fantasy story.He approached us with a smile. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. I’m Raufen, also known as Ditter Man," he announced, his energetic tone belying the heat of the day. "It seems I’m stuck in Archduck’s body. This whole situation is confusing, but let’s do our best!"He spoke so loudly I feared his voice would give out before the meeting even started. Something told me this was going to be a long day—mostly because we were gathering a band of misfits."My back hurts so much," I complained loudly as I arrived at the meeting area—an abandoned park that smelled awful at every corner. I would never have stepped foot in a place like this if it weren’t for the goal of reclaiming my handsome body.At the moment, I was stuck inside the body of an old man—well, he looked more like he was in his forties, but the endless overtime and energy drinks had aged him prematurely. It was hard not to feel like I could keel over at any moment. Never in my life did I think I'd experience something so absurd. How far has this Sigiswald fallen?As I trudged through the park, I accidentally stepped into a patch of mud, dirtying my shoes. "This is the worst," I grumbled, cringing at the gruff, old-sounding voice. I missed my beautiful voice.Complaining wouldn’t fix anything, though, so I pushed forward through the bushes and twigs. The blazing sun overhead wasn’t helping. At least this workaholic Truerqual still had a full head of hair—it provided a tiny bit of protection from the heat."I see. I see."I heard voices up ahead and pushed through one last thicket to reach the clearing. In the center of the area was an abandoned fountain, surrounded by a scattering of broken chairs. Eleven others were already gathered there. It looked like I was the last to arrive—not that I minded. After all, the protagonist always shows up fashionably late."Ah, Sir Dusty! We're glad to see you arrived safely," said a voice that sent a shiver down my spine. It was my body speaking to me. Seeing myself like that was... surreal. Looking around, it seemed I wasn’t the only one shaken.I overheard a petite girl, who looked no older than ten, mutter about barely managing to escape her brother. Beside her, a taller woman patted her head reassuringly."All right, everyone!" A tall, muscular man in a suit clapped his hands to get our attention. His outfit didn’t suit his appearance at all, and the slender man standing beside him grimaced in disapproval. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Sylvester, the person behind Archduck. And your guildmaster.""Oh, you’re totally not what I expected, guildmaster," a red-haired boy commented, tilting his head in confusion. He was wearing a tracksuit, sweat dripping down his face—clearly, he had run all the way here."That’s because I’m the one stuck in his body," the blue-haired man beside him muttered sourly. "I’m Ditter Man. I like sports. Nice to meet you all!" His enthusiastic introduction clashed with his bitter tone.The red-haired boy brightened. "What a coincidence! I like sports too. Maybe we could have a soccer match later. With twelve of us, we could make two teams of six!""Absolutely not!" I shouted, shutting that idea down immediately.After a bit more discussion, we pieced together the body-swap situation. The guild’s twelve members had swapped bodies as follows:
Myne <> Hannelore
Raufen <> Sylvester
Ferdinand <> Damuel
Eglantine <> Lutz
Sigiswald <> Truerqual
Hartmut <> Angelica
"Please give me back my body!" Eglantine, stuck in Lutz’s body, wailed as he shook her by the shoulders. Tears welled in his eyes—technically her eyes—but the desperation was clear."Believe me, I’d love to, but I have no idea how!" Lutz protested, trying to calm her down.Meanwhile, Angelica (in Hartmut’s body) and Raufen (in Sylvester’s body) were arguing over which sport was the best. It was surreal seeing Hartmut’s usually composed body flailing around like a child. I have never met him before but I could assume he was some serious college student.Angelica’s in-game name was Angie, but she rarely participated in guild chat. I had imagined her to be a mysterious beauty, but seeing her animatedly debate in Hartmut’s body shattered that illusion.
Give me back my fantasy.On the other side of the clearing, Hartmut (in Angelica’s body) was enthusiastically trying to hug Myne, who was stuck in Hannelore’s petite frame."So you’re My Lady Book Lovers! Oh, what a glorious day! The God of Fire blesses us—""Someone, please shut him up," Myne groaned, dodging Hartmut’s advances. From an outsider’s perspective, it probably looked like a doting older sister fawning over her little sister while a young woman chuckled nearby. But internally, it was a creepy young man lusting (?) after a girl slightly older than himself."My head hurts," I muttered. Our guild members were brilliant in their respective fields—some of us even had prestigious jobs—but real-life social situations clearly weren’t our forte."Must be tough," Truerqual said, handing me an energy drink with a wry smile.I stared at the can in horror. Don’t tell me he’s been drinking this vile stuff while in my body?! The thought of returning to my original body only to find it defiled by unholy substances made me pale. For now, I stayed quiet and continued to watch the chaos unfold before me."Here I go!"The red-haired boy shouted excitedly as he ran straight at me, and we collided with a violent crash. I was sent flying backward from the impact, landing hard on my rear. "Ouch!" A cute-sounding yelp escaped my lips, making me immediately flush with embarrassment."Aw, looks like it didn’t work either." Angelica, who was currently stuck in my body, tilted her head in disappointment. Her ridiculous plan—to ram into each other in the hopes that it would somehow return our souls to our original bodies—had failed spectacularly.Honestly, I wasn’t too concerned about whether I was in my own body or not, as long as I could continue enjoying my hobbies.Speaking of hobbies, today was a monumental day for me—I finally got to meet my idol, the one and only Miss Book Lovers, the ace of our guild. In her original form, she was a strikingly attractive young woman, but she was now stuck in the body of an adorable, petite girl. They said she was already in high school, but her small frame made that hard to believe."Lady Myyyyynnnneee! I’m hurt—please comfort me~" I staggered toward her dramatically, pretending the crash had left me in agony."Liar. I can clearly see you’re fine," she said in that heavenly voice of hers. "And don’t think I’m fooled by your appearance. Even though you look like a sweet and caring girl, I know deep down you’re a total freak. So please, stay away from me."Her words stabbed me right in the heart. I fell to my knees, clutching my chest and faking tears."Buhuuu! This Hartmut is deeply wounded. The only thing that can heal me now is a Book Lover’s hug!""Quit it, Hartmut. You’re embarrassing all of us," Sir Ferdinand—currently stuck in Damuel’s body—sighed, rubbing his temples. "Why am I surrounded by fools?""I see you’re just as mean as ever, Ferdinand!" Lady Myne pouted, glaring at him. From what I’d heard, these two had already met in real life due to their jobs occasionally overlapping—apparently, the salaryman had to borrow books from the library for his research. From what I could tell, Ferdinand was reliable but cold, with a knack for keeping everyone in check."Someone, please kill me," Sir Sigiswald grumbled again, slumping over in despair. His childish antics felt strangely out of place now that he was stuck in the body of an old man. "This backache should be a crime."Meanwhile, Truerqual—the actual owner of that body—patted him on the shoulder and muttered that he should probably take better care of himself once he get his body back.I had no interest in the woes of middle-aged men, though. My goal for the day was simple: get closer to Lady Myne."Milady~" I called out, inching toward her."Please don’t come near me!" she snapped, glaring at me with all the force her petite body could muster."This really is chaotic," Hannelore said with an awkward laugh, watching the scene unfold.Between Sigiswald and Truerqual bemoaning their predicament in the corner, Damuel and Sir Ferdinand discussing strategies on the other side, Eglantine and Lutz crying their hearts out, and me fooling around trying to charm the girls, it was clear that today had been an absolute disaster.Angie: Haaaaa~ Today was such a blissful day. I shall never forget the moment Lady Myne slapped me. I shall never wash this cheek ever again. <3Loltz: Disgusting.Tequila: Disgusting.Shumil Emperor: Disgusting.Archduck: DITTER!!!Avatar's Number One Follower: Huh? Wouldn't it be uncomfortable not to wash your face? I mean, you do you, I guess.Eggplant: Angelica, shouldn’t you be a little more worried about your body?Avatar's Number One Follower: Not really. I just want to become stronger.Eggplant: ...Ditter Man: ...The mysterious individual lifted their cup of hot cocoa, blowing on it before cautiously taking a sip. It was still too hot, however, and they quickly regretted the decision, placing the cup back on the desk. "Owww. And here I wanted to look all mysterious and edgy."They pulled their blanket-turned-hood tighter around their face, hiding their identity. But with summer in full swing, the heat was unbearable. Despite this, the mysterious figure endured it for the sake of dramatic flair and continued to read the chat.ForeverSingle: Anyway, let’s refocus on the situation.Mad Scientist: Everything we tried today failed.Shumil Emperor: I feel sorry for Angelica, who had to swap bodies with a certain creep. >.<Avatar's Number One Follower: No need to worry about me. ^^Book Lovers: That aside, knowing my family, Myne will have a hard time organizing another meeting like this again. So, let’s all conduct small-scale research on our own.Loltz: NOOOOOOO! MY BODY!!!Eggplant: Sorry...Archduck: DITTER!!!Shumil Emperor: Lestilaut, Kennetrips, and Rastark were such a pain to deal with. >.<Angie: Shall I get rid of them for you, Lady Myne?Shumil Emperor: NO! Hartmut, I forbid you from doing anything stupid.Angie: Too bad.After some useless back-and-forth, the discussion returned to the main topic. They agreed to search for alternative solutions individually while meeting in smaller groups—duos or trios—since coordinating everyone’s schedules for a full group meeting was too difficult.The mysterious individual chuckled to themselves. "Hehe. Now then, my little lost lambs, show me how you’ll handle this situation~" Their chuckle grew into a comically evil laugh, which quickly turned into a full-on cackle—until they choked on their own saliva, toppling off their chair. "Ow...""Freida, are you okay?" A concerned voice called out from downstairs."I’m fine," the individual replied, groaning as they stood. The blanket fell off, revealing a young woman. "I swear, every time I try to have fun, something goes wrong." Freida adjusted her posture and sat back down at her desk.Book Lovers: Anyway, it’s already late, and I have work tomorrow. See you, everyone. ^^Shumil Emperor: I have classes too >.< Ugh, I don’t want to spend another day gossiping with girls.Angie: Aww~ I wish I could go to the same school as you, my lady <3Eggplant: :yawn emoji: Good night, everyone.Ditter Man: Before I forget, there’s another guild raid this weekend. Make sure your sets are ready by then.Loltz: Ugh, did you really have to bring that up now? You’re such a tyrant, Guild Master.Archduck: DITTER!!!Eggplant: Okay, okay, we get it—you love ditter, Sir Raufen! :weary emoji:"Hehehe. No matter how hard you try, your fates are now in my hands." Freida smirked, letting out another dramatic laugh—until it devolved into another uncontrollable coughing.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I, Hartmut, the ever-faithful devotee of Lady Myne, had faced countless challenges in my life. I had debated all kinds of theories with stubborn scholars, devised grand schemes to spread the word of our saint, and endured people’s cold-hearted lectures without flinching. Despite being a college student, I was not particularly motivated to think about future job prospects. I assumed my father would find a way to have me join his workplace.But this—this was a new level of suffering.The moment I stepped onto the school grounds in Angelica’s body, I realized I was in enemy territory. The enemy in question? A horde of girls who saw Angelica as either a role model, a rival, or, in some cases, a romantic ideal. It had already been two whole weeks since I ended up in this body, yet I was still struggling to adapt.“Lady Angelica! Good morning!” A cheerful girl skipped up to me, hands clasped together as if basking in my presence.“Ah… yes. Morning.” I barely remembered to soften my tone at the last second, forcing a polite smile. I had spent years perfecting an air of mystery and devotion, but Angelica’s body demanded something… different. The energetic warrior was known for her carefree, straightforward nature. That was exactly why she was so popular with girls.“Did you finish yesterday’s assignment?” another girl asked eagerly, eyes sparkling.“…Assignment?” I froze.A collective gasp rippled through the group.“Angelica didn’t do the homework?!”“Oh no… Did you struggle with it?”“Shall we help?!”A bead of sweat rolled down my temple. Was I supposed to do something yesterday? The memory of last night flashed through my mind: reading the guild chat, plotting ways to meet Lady Myne, and debating with internet strangers on the game forum about which player was superior—of course, I insisted to no end that Book Lovers was the best of the best. Homework? What homework?!I mean you stop getting homework when you attend college so it totally slipped my mind.This Hartmut has disgraced himself. I have no choice but to commit seppuku to wash away the shame…But then, if I were no longer in this world, I wouldn’t be able to witness Lady Myne’s greatness. Therefore, I should value my life.“Ah, well, studying is important, but…” I struck a dramatic pose, placing a hand over my heart. “There are greater matters to focus on in life.”The girls gasped again, but this time with admiration.“As expected of Angelica… she sees past mere schoolwork and focuses on higher things.”“She’s truly a noble warrior at heart!”“Yes, yes! A body of steel, a mind free of worry!”They were eating it up. Unbelievable.I had unknowingly stumbled upon Angelica’s greatest talent—being so effortlessly airheaded that people admired her for it. At first, I was dumbfounded at how terrible she was at studying, and I was surprised she even made it into this school. Then I remembered that the school had a scholarship program supporting students with talents beyond academics.Just as I was about to retreat, a particularly sharp-eyed girl narrowed her eyes at me. “Then, Lady Angelica, would you mind showing us your sword technique? We could learn so much from you!”
…Sword technique?
Oh.Oh no.I did not know how to use a sword.The only weapon I could wield was my sharp mind and my devotion to my one and only lady.Sure, I had seen Angelica fight before—well, mostly by watching videos in her house. I wasn’t sure if I could get myself out of this mess or even wield a sword properly.My mind raced. If I refused, they would get suspicious. If I actually tried to spar, I would be humiliated. Think, Hartmut, think!“A warrior does not always fight with her sword,” I said sagely. “Sometimes, the most powerful blade… is one’s words.”More gasps. More admiration.“Angelica is so wise…!”“She’s talking about the mental aspect of battle! The true art of the sword!”“Ahhh, she’s on a different level…”My relief was short-lived.Because then, the worst happened.A girl—one of Angelica’s self-proclaimed rivals—stepped forward. “Then let’s put that wisdom to the test.” She tossed me a wooden sword. I barely caught it in time. “If you’re truly the strongest, you should be able to block all my attacks for five minutes.”I almost cursed out loud.I had no experience wielding weapons, no idea how Angelica moved in battle, and no excuse to run away without shattering this girl’s faith in her idol. Lady Myne, please save me!Fortunately, the bell chimed, signaling the start of classes. I mentally pumped a fist in the air.“Everyone, class is about to start. Let us postpone this sparring session for later.”“Angelica is so cool.”“She’s always so serious.”The girls seemed satisfied, so I was thankful. During class, I couldn’t focus much, as I was too busy thinking of ways to survive. True, this body was strong and had great reflexes. However, my mind belonged to a creepy 21-year-old man who had never done any sports in his life.As the day ended, I rushed out of class and hid in an abandoned classroom, hoping my self-proclaimed rival wouldn’t find me. As I remained in hiding, however, voices caught my ears.“Girls, did you hear? We have guests.”“Yes, I heard some students from that prestigious all-girls school are visiting.”“That really cute girl came again.”“You mean Miss Hannelore? I wish I could pamper her, even just once.”That name caught my attention.I knew that Lady Myne and Hannelore had swapped bodies. That meant the person visiting our school was none other than Book Lovers herself. Since our two schools were working closely together, there were occasions like this where students visited each other.This was probably a sign from the gods, granting me an opportunity to meet Lady Myne.I reflexively bolted from my hiding spot and started sprinting toward the student council room. I heard several teachers calling out from behind, but none of them mattered.I soon arrived at an intersection—and there stood Hannelore. Or rather, Book Lovers, the soul inhabiting her body.Even though she was currently small, her aura was unmistakable. The way she stood among girls far taller than her, the way her eyes darted around nervously… It was her. My goddess.I was so taken by the sight that I failed to notice the sharp-eyed girl beside me. “Oh. Angelica’s fiancée.”The girls around me whispered excitedly.“Her fiancée…?”“So she does swing that way.”“I knew they were close, but to think that…”“What kind of twist is this?!”“If you’re going to date girls, then go out with me instead!”I ignored all of them. My true goal had appeared before me.During the past two weeks, I had managed to find ways to spend as much time as possible with my beloved, to the point that rumors had started spreading. But I didn’t care.Angelica? Well, I was sure she would be fine as long as I granted her full control over my own body. It was a win-win.“Lady My— I mean, Lady Hannelooooooreeeee~” I called out dramatically, arms wide open.“Nope.” She turned on her heel.“Wait! Don’t run from me! I have suffered for too long—!”And just like that, the pursuit began.I dodged stunned students, ran after her as she entered a classroom, leaped over desks, and ignored the absolute chaos that followed.Book Lovers had come to me of her own accord. There was no way I was letting her escape.Whether this was fate or divine intervention, I didn’t care.I was going to make the most of this opportunity.Even if it killed me.Shumil Emperor: Hartmut! I swear I will sue you if you ever do something like this again! 😭Angie: Guys, listen! Lady Myne kissed my cheek today~ ❤️Shumil Emperor: That was only because you were being so annoying that it was the only way to stop your madness! 😭Book Lovers: ...Kiss? 😳Shumil Emperor: Waaaah, I’m so sorry, Hannelore! I didn’t mean to use your body for something weird! 😱Avatar’s Number One Follower: I think I’m starting to grow muscle. Finally, I’m feeling like I’m back in my original body.Angie: You can have it. The only body I now is this one that Lady Myne has blessed it with a kiss. 😌Tequila: Disgusting.Ditter Man: Disgusting.ForeverSingle: You people are weird.
Freida smirked as she scrolled through the chat. Things weren’t going exactly as she had planned, but it was still entertaining. “From what I can see, Hartmut, Angelica, Myne, and Hannelore seem fine.” She grabbed a handful of chips from her desk and tossed them into her mouth.
Loltz: This sucks. Mister Benno yelled at me again today. 💀Eggplant: Periods suck! Give me back my body! 😭Dusty: Maaaan, my shoulders hurt so much.
Three people seemed miserable—or so Freida assumed. Perhaps she could lend them a helping hand.“Guess I have no choice. You should be grateful for my generosity.” She reached over to her bedside table, grabbing a strange-looking voodoo doll, then leaned back in her seat.
"Let the show continue!"
“Guess I have no choice. You should be grateful for my generosity.” She reached over to her bedside table, grabbing a strange-looking voodoo doll, then leaned back in her seat.
"Let the show continue!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ring ring ring.
The annoying sound of the alarm echoed in the room—that now-familiar ringing that only served to drain my motivation. I would have gladly hit the snooze button if it were possible, but I knew it wasn’t.Pushing myself up, I reached for the device to shut it off and lazily forced myself to stand. With the extra, useless fat on my chest, my center of gravity had shifted, making waking up an even bigger hassle. At least I didn’t have the monthly "stomachache" today.You can do it, Lutz. I mentally cheered before heading to the bathroom to wash my face.It had been around two months since the members of our guild had swapped bodies, and no matter how much we tried, nothing seemed to work. Angelica and Hartmut seemed totally fine with the situation, while Myne and Hannelore were managing. The ones in the worst situation were Eglantine and me—me being stuck in her body.I hadn’t realized until now just how tough living as a woman was, but here we are.Complaining wouldn’t help, so I quickly got dressed once I was done. As I still had a healthy 14-year-old boy’s mind, doing this kind of task had been a nightmare, but now I was getting used to it. It was true that this woman was quite attractive, but when you see her in the mirror every day, you start to get used to it.Kinda scary, I mentally complained before grabbing a handbag and heading out."Eglantine, could you help me with this one?"I looked up to see my all-too-familiar, lovely red-haired coworker. "Sure, Adolphine."Since Eglantine’s job wasn’t too different from what I had learned at the Gilberta Company, I was able to adapt quickly. The coworkers, however, could be a pain to deal with—especially the men. Thankfully, Adolphine was always there to save me."Can you check if this is correct?" she asked, leaning in to offer me some documents. I immediately noticed her chest pressing against my shoulder, completely ruining my concentration.My brain started running all kinds of scenarios. T-they're so soft...Sure, this body I was in had the same things, but I wasn’t shameless enough to grope myself like most male characters in anime after getting genderbent. For now, I did my best to push those thoughts aside, my face heating up with a furious blush."Ah. The girlfriends are flirting again," a coworker commented, glancing at us. That only made my embarrassment worse.For now, we ignored them and double-checked the documents. Thankfully, my brain was still functioning well enough to provide rational input—not that the documents needed much fixing, since Adolphine had already done a great job."Thanks, Eglantine," she said happily. For a brief moment, I could swear she winked at me, making my heart skip a beat.I mean, wasn’t it every young boy’s dream for an older sister-type beauty to show interest in them? I was totally normal. Though, considering the body I was in belonged to another young woman, the situation was more than a little complicated."You're welcome, Adolphine. Please let me know if you need help with anything else.""In that case," she said, a small blush appearing on her face, "would you like to have lunch together today?""W-well… sure, I guess.""Thank you."With that, she walked back to her desk. I caught sight of one of our male coworkers grinning at us like he was watching a telenovela romance unfold before his eyes. I decided to ignore it and focus on my workload instead.As promised, Adolphine and I had lunch together. It wasn’t anything fancy—we just went to the cafeteria to grab something to eat.
I better be careful, or Eglantine will kill me.
I still remembered that time she yelled at me during a meeting a few weeks ago because I didn’t wear "proper" makeup outside. I thought it was quite respectable, but apparently, women were just built different. The same went with the calories management. It was only thanks to Hannelore that I was starting to understand how things worked."The cafeteria is quite calm today," Adolphine noted. Indeed, since it was already 2 PM, the large hall was nearly empty, leaving just the two of us. When we had a heavy workload, we usually ate later like this."Indeed. Hopefully, we can complete all these assignments by the end of the week."We made some small talk. From what Eglantine had told me, she and Adolphine were secretly an otaku, something they kept hidden from everyone except their respectable best friend. The two were quite close, and I had a feeling there might be something more between them, but I hadn’t been told the details.From time to time, Adolphine would lean onto me, engaging in excessive skinship. Right now, she was looking at me as if I were her favorite idol, which I tried to ignore by simply smiling."Eglantine, don’t you think it’s time to give me an answer?""An answer?"Once our lunch was over, we had tea and fruit juice so we could talk a little more. There were still about 30 minutes left in our break, so there was no need to rush."Please don’t play dumb. You know I truly meant it," she said, an embarrassed look on her face as she took a sip from her juice. "Ever since we were in college—no, even before that, back in high school—I always did my best. Now that we’re both respectable working adults, don’t you think it’s time?"Time for what?! I mentally screamed. I wanted to contact "Lutz" via our group chat right away to ask what this was about. "Adolphine... I..."She placed her drink down, then stood up and sat beside me, leaning in. "You’ve always been this graceful person that I couldn’t help but admire. I might have gotten better grades in school, but I was always frustrated because I felt like I was losing to you.""S-sorry about that. I never meant to hurt you." I forced myself to respond, my brain short-circuiting."That’s unfair, you know," she pouted, reaching a hand to play with a lock of my blonde hair.I had spent hours over the weekend making sure it stayed silky smooth. That thought helped distract me a little—otherwise, I might have died from embarrassment. I was starting to get an idea of what was going on, but it was best not to jump to conclusions.I was aware that some people preferred the company of those of the same gender. I had been raised in a modest family that taught me to go with the flow and not judge others, so I had no issue supporting them. However, this was Eglantine’s body, and I had no idea what to do.If I left now, I might hurt Adolphine."Say," she continued, her fingers inching closer to my collar, "I wasn’t aware you were such a playgirl.""S-sorry about that." All I could do was apologize and hope the situation would resolve itself—which, of course, was impossible.She pouted before leaning back. I thought she had given up, but then her expression shifted from playful to sad—or at least, that’s what I thought until I realized she was faking it. "And to think I summoned all my courage to confess back during our college graduation. You promised me you’d prepare an answer once we had more stable lives. Don’t you think now is the time?"Ah. So that was it. Now I understood.I had no idea what Eglantine truly wanted, which made it difficult to respond. "T-that is..."She took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped away invisible, fake tears. I mentally noted that her acting skills were surprisingly good. "Don’t tell me you found another cuter girl and totally forgot about me. That’s so unfair, Eglantine.""P-please wait!""Now that I think about it, you’ve always been a bit of a skirt-chaser since you were young," she added, revealing yet another hidden truth.I really wished the owner of this body had given me some useful information before throwing me into the lion’s den. "T-that is... I..."Silence stretched between us for a moment before a chuckle escaped her lips. She placed the tissue on the table and met my eyes."You’re not Eglantine, are you?""I...""No need to play dumb. You might have her body, but the person inside is different."A sigh escaped me. We had all agreed not to tell anyone about the situation, but lying wouldn’t do any good. I was no match to the person who have known Eglantine since childhood."Yes. I swapped bodies with her for some unknown reason. Right now, all I want is to get back to normal.""I see."Silence hung between us again as we stared at the table. Eventually, I spoke up. "I’m sorry for deceiving you.""I’m sure it was Eglantine’s idea to make you play along," she chuckled. "That girl has had bad habits like this since childhood."I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. "About the confession..."Adolphine looked down again, her smile turning sad."You might be grossed out, but yes, I confessed. And I never got an answer." A weak chuckle escaped her. "It’s weird, isn’t it? For a woman to love another woman.""That’s not true," I quickly said. "We’re all human. Who you love or hate is up to you. No one else has the right to judge.""Thank you, er...""Lutz," I introduced myself. "My name is Lutz.""Lutz?" she repeated. "Isn’t that a boy’s name?"I scratched my chin awkwardly, and a chuckle escaped her."To think Eglantine swapped bodies with a boy... I can’t help but worry about my precious friend.""She did complain about a few things at first, but she seems to have calmed down and adapted." I sighed. "Personally, I’d really like for things to go back to normal soon.""I see."We continued chatting until it was time to return to work. With newfound resolve, I decided that I would find a way to fix this mess so that Eglantine could give Adolphine a proper answer.Hopefully, the two of them would end up together.Note: Since their bodies are swapped, so are their accounts. Little reminder:
Ditter Man - Sylvester
Archduck - Rauffen
Book Lovers - Hannelore
Shumil Emperor - Myne
Angie - Hartmut
Avatar's Number One Follower - Angelica
Mad Scientist - Damuel
ForeverSingle - Ferdinand
Dusty - Traugott
Tequila - Sigiswald
Eggplant - Lutz
Loltz - Eglantine
Ditter Man: Tonight is the guild raid.Archduck: Ditter!Book Lovers: I just maxed out my character’s stats. Hopefully, I won’t drag everyone down again.Shumil Emperor: Do not worry, Hannelore. I will support you no matter what~Angie: Lady Myne, please cheer for me as well~ <3Avatar's Number One Follower: Guys, what does "womanizer" mean?Shumil Emperor: O.oMad Scientist: Did something happen?Avatar's Number One Follower: Some girls in my class called me a womanizer when I taught them the basics of swordsmanship. Was that a compliment?Tequila: Screw you! And here I am, stuck in this old fossil body, unable to woo a single woman.Dusty: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WomanizerAvatar's Number One Follower: Urghhh. I don’t want to read D:Shumil Emperor: I want to read. Can we swap?Ditter Man: Guys, let’s calm down.Freida chuckled as she enjoyed her favorite pastime—reading the group chat. Several weeks had passed since she cast the spell that swapped everyone's bodies. Hartmut, Angelica, Hannelore, and Myne had more or less adjusted to their new lives. However, some others were reaching their limit.ForeverSingle: Useless. Everyone in the office is a total buffoon who can’t even do their job properly.Mad Scientist: While I do agree they’re not very good, your specs are just too high, Mister Ferdinand.Eggplant: @Loltz, there’s something I need to ask you.Loltz: ???Eggplant: It’s about Adolphine...Loltz: DM me.It looked like those two were the first to crack. While the game lasted, it wouldn’t be fun if they only had to deal with misery.Freida stood up from her chair and grabbed the dolls she had carefully prepared. She removed the needle from one and planted it into another.
"May the souls return to their owners."
Ditter Man: Now, let the raid begin!Archduck: Ditter!Shumil Emperor: Guys, Loltz and Eggplant just disconnected @.@Book Lovers: Oh no.Ditter Man: They dare abandon us now? Can someone contact them?Mad Scientist: Calling...Mad Scientist: They’re not answering.Ditter Man: Sucks. Guess we’ll have to raid as much as possible for their sake.
What happened...?
I blinked, trying to remember why I was lying on the floor. Last night, I had logged into my favorite MMO after finally escaping from Lutz's brothers. I was getting used to Mister Benno’s complaints but the day was awful, so I decided to cheer myself up by giving my best in the raid.After Lutz told me about Adolphine, I suddenly lost consciousness—just like that time when our bodies were swapped."Don't tell me..."I quickly stood up, only to stumble forward due to the sudden shift in my center of gravity. Rushing to the mirror, tears welled up in my eyes as I saw the all-too-familiar figure of a lovely young woman staring back at me."I’m back. I got my body back!"I cheered, looking around. This was indeed my apartment. Even the sound of my alarm ringing wasn’t as annoying as usual. I simply turned it off before heading to the bathroom to get ready for the day.I didn’t know what had caused my return, but I was determined to enjoy my life to the fullest. My first course of action? Meeting up with Adolphine—so I could finally give her the answer I had meant to give her years ago.